It’s easy to see how much the capture of this pristine 2lb 4oz river roach meant to Andrew Mussellwhite.

He targeted a private stretch of the River Itchen in Hampshire and due to the low, clear conditions, he decided to stalk the venues resident roach and a small nymph that he tied himself.

But his run of results on the river didn’t stop there, he also proved he’s a dab hand with more conventional tactics for the species as a 2lb 3oz recently fell to a freelined piece of bread flake.